5th deadline to parties ends today

President Ram Baran Yadav

The 5th deadline given by President Ram Baran Yadav to the political parties to pick a consensus Prime Minister is ending today.

The President had extended the timeline at the request of the top leaders of UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, UML and the Madhesi Front, who pledged to arrive at an understanding by today.

The opposition parties along with a section of the UCPN (M) have blamed Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai for thwarting a deal that was in the process of being finalised.

While he has brushed aside the allegations of creating hurdles in the efforts to build consensus, Bhattarai has insisted that government change is possible only after a package agreement which should include participation of the opposition parties in his government to turn it into a consensus government for a brief period; owning up of the agendas finalised by the dissolved Constituent Assembly, announcement of the date for election in Baisakh (April-May) and appointments in constitutional bodies including the Election Commission. nepalnews.com